Cuban Food, Varadero

Directly across the street from Sunbeach, to the east, is a small outdoor patio bar that is open day and night. It is right on the corner, and you have to go down a few steps from the sidewalk to reach the tables. This little place often has music and we enjoy going here for a cold drink (3CUC for Coronas!) or a light lunch when we get tired of our hotel buffet offerings.

Their chicken sandwich is AMAZING! I really mean that! It is a chicken breast, grilled, and served on freshly baked bread. If you're really feeling daring, order the clubhouse. It's the same sandwich, with bacon and tomato added. Either one will satisfy your hunger and will set you back less than 2CUC. So that's a fabulous home cooked chicken burger and a Corona, for less than 5 CUC. Yes folks, life can be this good. They have other menu choices as well, but I always break down and have the chicken.

These guys are open late, so it's also a perfect spot to grab a late night snack after an evening of clubbing too.

Favorite Dish: I recommend the salmon..... just kidding! Obviously, my favorite thing from this restaurant is the chicken club sandwich - grilled chicken, grilled bacon, fresh bread, tomatoes.... mmmmmmm.... bacon..... yummo!

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A unique experience. Just a little bar/restaurant in a cave. You'll recognize it by all of the empty wine bottles stuck to the outside wall. It's across the water bridge - but it doesn't open until 3:00 p.m. Because it is in the park, the setting is quiet and quite beautiful. Plenty of peacocks to be seen. Prefer to sit outside on the patio (it does smell cavey in the cave).

Favorite Dish: The lobster tail and the chicken skewers are mouth watering. You can watch the care that goes into the preparation of your meal because it is cooked on the grill in front of your eyes by chef Wilfredo. And if you don't try one of Wilfredo's BEST MOJITO you will never know why it is THE BEST. Tell him that you read Peter Pan's travel tip!!

Very cheap authentic Cuban bar/restaurant. It's frequented primarily by Cubans but you will be welcomed in this open air patio restaurant. Ice cream here was cheaper than in the stores! It's open 24 hours a day.

Favorite Dish: The item at the top of the menu: chicken with rice Cuban style; $2.50!!! Cafe Americano in the morning.

Being so fond of singing and salsa dancing no wonder that Cuban people are not too much into their food ...The Cuban cuisine is slightly dissapointing considering its rich influences - Spanish, French, African Arabic, the vegetables, fruits and spicies available and excellent fish and seafood.
Probably the embargo and the shortage of food for locals contributes to this lack of imagination...
But still you could have plenty of nice dishes based on lobster - the grilled one is a simple and delicious one - unfortunately didnt manage to get ever some slices of lemon and only once managed to get some nice garlic pasta (sort of aioli), shrimps, tuna and some nice paella (recommended to be ordered in a paladar)..
Paladares and the seafood from different trips (diving ones to Carribean Wreck & Bay of Pigs) were a nice change to our All Inclusive food from the hotel.

Favorite Dish: Some Cuban traditional dishes:
- Ropa Vieja (shredded beef)
- Arroz con Pollo (chicken and yellow rice)
- Moros (black beans and rice)
- Platanos Dulces Fritos (fried sweet plantains)
- Coconut cakes (which we adored:)

At the Superclubs Breezes, their buffet was great! They offered all sorts of food and somthing different everyday! The workers are second to none and they truly make you feel special and a part of their family!
We didn't go to any of the a la cartes, we were happy with the buffet and we we went off resort a few times to eat. From what others said the A la Cartes were relly great!!

Favorite Dish: They had great rice pudding, cappucinos(add some baileys, YUM!), mojitos- made fresh, chicken, sausage, fried bananas, bananas in syrup, and the pasta chef-JUAN-makes amazing fresh pasta!!!!!!

We went into Varadero town to do some shopping(yes you can shop in Varadero). We seen this beautiful view of the ocean and beach and decided to go check it out:
it is a little outdoor bar off the main strip in Varadero. They have a live band and the most beautiful view of the ocean! The band has a trombone and trumpet, they were awesome, get them to play Che Guevara(my new favorite song), they do it beautifully! We saw the view from the main strip, then we noticed the bar, so we went over only meaning to have one drink. We were with another couple(Andre and Patricia) that we met at the resort, we sat down, and listened to the music, we noticed another couple, so we asked if they wanted to sit with us, they were from Switzerland(Flavia and Dario), then we saw another couple from our hotrel, so they joined us(Mike and Tracy), then a few other people came in and we asked if they wanted to join us. All in all there was 12 of us, we were all from somewhere different and all had a different background, and we danced to the music, ate lunch,talked, laughed, and before we left, we said "cheers" in all the different languages, and then everyone said in their language "People are the same, no matter where they come from" it was unspeakable, it will be one of our most favorite memories!
Oh! And they serve their beer in frosted mugs, the top layer of the beer actually turns to ice!!!!

Favorite Dish: The frosted mug beer!! And they make a mean plate of fries!

The ambience: AMAZING!
The Food: AMAZING!
One of the most romantic experiences ever! A beautiful building! First they bring you up to the bar, a saxophone and calssical guitar player play for while you sip on Rum Collins. They play beautifully, we bought the CD(it is really good!) They take you down to the restaurant, they seat you, we started off with a nice white Spanish Wine, they bring you the wine, put it in a win chiller on a stand beside your table, then you do the cork snifing, swirling, sip, taste, and give the waiter a nod(thank god we watch the food channel), Then musicians consisting of 2 violinists, classical guitar and a singer play for you, they ask you what would you like to hear, we said somthing classical, so the violinist(who is amazing) starts to play Pachabels Canon-our wedding song-well I started to cry. But he played it perfectly!!!!!!! We bought their CD, it is a good one to! I ordered shrimp and lobster my husband veal medallions, It was an awesome meal! It wasn't cheap but for the bottle of wine, our meal, dessert it came out to $95, which is better than anything at the Keg. After that they drove us back to the hotel in a golf cart, they took the golf coarse way along the shore, it was so romantic, the moon was up, you could hear the waves on the shore, you could see the moons reflection on the water, it was warm, the ocean breeze blowing in your hair, holding hands, it was perfect.

Resort food is sub-par in Varadero, one of the few drawbacks. However, where else can you get a steak dinner with all the fixings in a high class restaurant for $9? You can relax in an open air beach bar or buy lobster tails for $1 ea.!! (A fellow traveller actually planned ahead and brought 20 back in a cooler, beware of customs officials though!)